{"id":9931,"date":"2025-07-20T08:30:11","date_gmt":"2025-07-20T08:30:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/9931\/"},"modified":"2025-07-20T08:30:11","modified_gmt":"2025-07-20T08:30:11","slug":"cunha-elanga-debuts-isak-absence-explained","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/9931\/","title":{"rendered":"Cunha + Elanga debuts, Isak absence explained"},"content":{"rendered":"

Amid the carnival of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) rule change announcements, some actual football broke out on Saturday.<\/p>\n

Only pre-season football, mind, with meaningful takeaways in short supply at this fitness-building stage of the summer.<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, 13 Premier League teams were in action on Saturday \u2013 and a few things caught our eye.<\/p>\n

We start our Scout Notes round-ups with Manchester United 0-0 Leeds United and Celtic 4-0 Newcastle United.<\/p>\n

MANCHESTER UNITED 0-0 LEEDS UNITED\"Ipswich<\/p>\n

This friendly in a nutshell: Matheus Cunha isn\u2019t going to solve all of Man Utd\u2019s problems, while Leeds look solid enough not to be write-offs next season.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s plenty of time in pre-season for both teams to get better or worse, of course.<\/p>\n

HOW CUNHA FARED ON HIS DEBUT<\/p>\n

Cunha was a bright-ish spark in his 45-minute run-out, playing as the left-sided \u201910\u2019 as expected. His driving runs and close control proved problematic for Leeds, who were forced to foul him on several occasions.<\/p>\n

Teeing up a couple of chances for teammates before the break, he also saw the line-leading Chido Obi nick the ball off his toes when he had been poised to curl goalwards.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, you can see that the connection between him and Bruno is still not there. But it is going to be a good connection.\u201d \u2013 Ruben Amorim on Matheus Cunha<\/p>\n

The Red Devils otherwise, though, were pretty turgid. While this was just pre-season friendly #1, it was also true of Ruben Amorim\u2019s side for much of 2024\/25.<\/p>\n

Bruno Fernandes played deeper in central midfield (and retained set plays), while Amad Diallo initially operated at right wing-back before moving further up. With Bryan Mbeumo set to arrive, both midfielders\u2019 futures may be further back than FPL managers would like. The same goes for Kobbie Mainoo.<\/p>\n

Toby Collyer\u2019s deployment as a right-sided number 10 screamed \u2018placeholder\u2019, meanwhile\u2026<\/p>\n

Bruno Fernandes playing in deeper role alongside Casemiro, as likely to do when PL season starts. Toby Collyer in the spot Bryan Mbeumo earmarked for.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Simon Stone (@sistoney67) July 19, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

United sprang to life in the dying embers, with Mainoo hitting the bar amid some penalty-box pinball. By then, however, Leeds had many of their rookies on.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe suffered a little bit when we tried to press high, they kick the ball, win the second ball and they were a danger in that moment. We have a lack of pace, especially in the middle of the park, and you can feel it, [so] that\u2019s hard to bring the ball [forward].\u201d \u2013 Ruben Amorim<\/p>\n

Unremarkable stuff, then, with a few glimmers of hope from Cunha. Second-half centre-halves Ayden Heaven and Leny Yoro were decent, too.<\/p>\n

BOGLE CATCHES THE EYE<\/p>\n

Leeds held their own and arguably looked the most accomplished side for chunks of the game.<\/p>\n

Really catching the eye, ironically at a time when much focus is now on centre-halves <\/a>in FPL, was Jayden Bogle.<\/p>\n

A scorer of six goals in 2024\/25<\/a>, his attacking prowess was on display in Stockholm. Bombing forward from right-back, he very nearly scored from close range in the second half, forcing a save from Tom Heaton. Perhaps lacking the final pass at times, he nevertheless looked dangerous and gave teenage wing-back Diego Leon a torrid afternoon.<\/p>\n

New full-back Gabriel Gudmundsson also impressed going forward, taking a corner after his introduction.<\/p>\n

Fellow summer signing Felix Nmecha led the line in the first half and looked like a decent hold-up type of striker. Last season\u2019s Championship top goalscorer, Joel Piroe, replaced him at half-time and set up a couple of chances.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no chance of Patrick Bamford entering Daniel Farke\u2019s thinking up top\u2026<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the second day of pre-season, I got him into my office and told him he is not in my plans for the upcoming season.\u201d \u2013 Daniel Farke on Patrick Bamford<\/p>\n

Wilfried Gnonto\u2018s career has stalled in recent years but he looked bright down the right with Bogle. Daniel James, the man expected to start on that flank this season<\/a>, came on at the interval.<\/p>\n

Debutant Jaka Bijol was part of a fairly solid rearguard effort, while central midfielder Ao Tanaka was given a bit more attacking license than we were used to seeing in 2024\/25. He shanked a good chance wide.<\/p>\n

Manchester United first-half XI:\u00a0Bayindir; Mazraoui, De Ligt, Shaw; Amad, Casemiro, Fernandes, Leon, Collyer, Cunha; Obi.<\/p>\n

Manchester United second-half XI:\u00a0Heaton; Yoro, Maguire (Fredricson 74), Heaven; Dalot, Ugarte, Mainoo, Dorgu; Mantato (J. Fletcher 80), Mount; Hojlund.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Leeds United first-half XI:\u00a0Darlow; Bogle, Rodon, Bijol, Byram; Ampadu, Gruev; Gnonto, Tanaka, Harrison; Nmecha.<\/p>\n

Leeds United second-half XI:\u00a0Meslier; Bogle (Chambers 77), Bornauw, Struijk, Gudmundsson, Longstaff, Gruev (Crew 85); James, Tanaka (Gray 77), Ramazani, Piroe (Chadwick 89).<\/p>\n

CELTIC 4-0 NEWCASTLE UNITED\"Elanga\"<\/p>\n

Oh dear.<\/p>\n

An alarming-sounding scoreline but Eddie Howe wasn\u2019t too fussed after full-time, highlighting the fact that this was Celtic\u2019s fifth friendly and only Newcastle\u2019s second.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis was a test that, maybe, came a little bit too early for us. We have had a long week in Austria, not making excuses by the way, but the lads came into the game jaded, slightly, but it was a great workout for us.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think they are way ahead of us, fitness-wise. I think that\u2019s a really useful lesson for us to learn because we usually do that to other teams.\u201d \u2013 Eddie Howe<\/p>\n

ISAK ABSENCE EXPLAINED<\/p>\n

There was no Alexander Isak in the Newcastle squad, prompting questions about his future. Transfer speculation was, in fact, part of the reason Howe omitted him on Saturday.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think it\u2019s easy for any player to be under that scrutiny and that\u2019s part \u2013 10% \u2013 of the reason why he wasn\u2019t here today. I just want him to focus on himself and his training and being ready for next week.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor any player, that\u2019s not an easy thing to deal with and not an easy thing to understand when you\u2019re fielding calls and messages from players and people asking you all sorts, because the media now is so strong and the media message goes far and wide.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d never give a guarantee about anybody\u00a0(staying)\u00a0because I\u2019ve been in football long enough to know I could end up looking silly. But, the desire from everybody to keep him is as strong as it could be. Fingers crossed that will happen for us.\u201d \u2013 Eddie Howe on Alexander Isak<\/p>\n

ELANGA DEBUT<\/p>\n

It was a horror show at the back for the Magpies. Goals came from a penalty, a horrible Nick Pope error, a breakaway and a recycled set play. A real shop of horrors at the rear, with established names like Fabian Schar well below par. The lack of full-back pace without Tino Livramento (extended break) and Lewis Hall (injured) was also a factor.<\/p>\n

Anthony Elanga came on at the interval, replacing positional rival Jacob Murphy.<\/p>\n

It was bright-ish bow, his pace clearly a weapon down the right. The Swede saw one shot saved and whipped in a couple of crosses, but having William Osula to link up with rather than Isak was always going to be a handicap.<\/p>\n

Newcastle United XI: Pope (Dubravka 46), Trippier (Krafth 46), Schar (Lascelles 46), Botman (Burn 46), Targett (A. Murphy 46), Guimaraes (White 46), Willock (Tonali 46), Miley (Hernes 76), J. Murphy (Elanga 46), Osula (Neave 76), Barnes (Gordon 46).<\/p>\n

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